The achievements of Team UniSA's outstanding sports people, volunteers, clubs and teams were celebrated on Thursday evening at the 2022 UniSA Sport Awards night. Around 130 guests attended the tenth annual cocktail event, held in the Ian McLachlan Room at Adelaide Oval this year.
It was an honour to have Adelaide Thunderbirds Netball Team Captain and UniSA student, Hannah Petty, join us as a guest speaker. Hannah delivered an inspiring presentation, telling her journey from playing netball in her home country town on the Eyre Peninsula as a teenager to representing South Australia.
There was a strong field of nominees and finalists in all award categories. We would like to extend a huge congratulations to all our nominees and winners for 2022.
UniSA Ultimate Club member, Emma Jager was awarded Club Administrator of the Year, while UniSA Swimming Club member - Andrew Truong took home Volunteer of the Year, securing a back-to-back win.
Tinka Easton, Australian Commonwealth Games Judo gold medallist, won the Female Athlete of the Year.
The Male Athlete of the Year was awarded to Flynn Ogilvie, Australian Kookaburras hockey team member and Commonwealth Games gold medallist.
Congratulations to Richard Davis, who was awarded the Most Outstanding Athlete with a Disability for Para-Badminton.
The Club of the Year award went to the UniSA Swimming Club, for the second year in a row. While the UniSA Eagles Gridiron Club took home the Team of the Year award.
The winner of the Georgie Rowe Outstanding Athlete of the Year award, which recognises an individual who demonstrates outstanding achievement as a player, administrator or volunteer and celebrates Georgie’s sporting achievements in perpetuity – was awarded to Dougy Howard for his significant contribution to the UniSA Tennis and UniSA Netball Clubs.
The following individuals received a Club Colours Award for their significant contributions to the development of their respective UniSA sport clubs:
Tiana Stewart – UniSA Netball Club
· Victoria Daube – UniSA Netball Club
· Khaing Zar Maung – UniSA Tennis Club
· Aaron O’Leary – UniSA Motorsport Club
· Cameron Dutschke – UniSA Kung Fu Club
· Yik Long Fong – Table Tennis Club
· Sally Summers – Broadview Football Club
· Andrew Truong – UniSA Swimming Club
· Samuel Crummey – UniSA Eagles Gridiron Club
· Ernesto Covino – UniSA Eagles Gridiron Club
· Jesse Wyten – UniSA Eagles Gridiron Club
· Madison LeCong – UniSA Shodokan Aikido Club
· Jady Tran – UniSA Shodokan Aikido Club
The Half Blues Awards were taken home by the following students who achieved sporting success at state and/or national university representative level whilst also contributing to university sport:
· Andrew Wakefield - Judo
· Cleo Wilson – Rowing
· Celia Cowan – Rowing
· Jessie Smith - Equestrian
· Farrukh Kurbonov - Judo
· Patrick Collinson - Judo
· Adin Hunt – Taekwondo
· Daniel Roberts – Ultimate
· Curtis Kleinig – Ultimate
· Quebec Tong – Ultimate
· Amin Ariee – Powerlifting
This year we welcomed back the Blues Awards again, the highest sporting accolade for current students at the University of South Australia. The Blues Awards were presented to the following students who have achieved outstanding sporting success while enrolled at the University, typically through representing Australia at an international level while also contributing to University sport as a participant and/or volunteer:
· Tayla Mangan - Lacrosse
· Zephyr Williams - Lacrosse
· Addie Cunningham - Lacrosse
· Alfie Wenk – Ski Cross
· Michael Case - Triathlon
· Richard Davis – Para-Badminton
· Kaito Foster - Ultimate
· Isaac Heyne – Athletics
Two Club Milestone Anniversaries were celebrated this year - the UniSA Judo Club 50th Anniversary and the UniSA Motorsport Club 20th Anniversary - and current club members who contributed to their club's success and longevity were acknowledged.
The 2022 VC Cup was also presented at the event to the overall winning unit, UniSA Business.
We would like to congratulate and thank all who contributed to UniSA Sport this year and we look forward to seeing everyone again in 2023.